cowboys and runaway hearts (please take mine)
by NeonDomino
Summary: Western!AU. Remus falls in love at a dance. But the woman he falls for is actually infamous outlaw, Sirius Black.


Written for:

 **Quidditch League - Round 3 - Holyhead Harpies - Beater 1**

 **Prompt: Hey Now (Girls Just Wanna Have Fun) — Cyndi Lauper.**

 **Optional Prompts: (object) Wanted Poster(s), (genre) Western, (dialogue) "Pay attention to me."**

A/N - Prompt use: The song was used the following way: The song is about a girl wanting to just have fun. My main setting (apart from Western) is a dance, with people having fun and enjoying themselves. Remus who works hard, takes time to have fun. Fleur is off dancing too. Sirius dresses as a woman in this fic, which is inspired by the video of the song where this also happens - allowing himself to have fun and forget about responsibilities.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Assignment 12 - Muggle History - Task 2: Write about someone breaking the law.

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 **cowboys and runaway hearts (please take mine)  
** _Thanks to my team and squad for being so perfect and helping me!_

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Remus placed the wanted poster on the board next to the posters of Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew and Ted "The Badger" Tonks. They had finally gotten a picture of another member, bringing their total amount of wanted posters up to three. Remus suspected there were many more members, but they were so elusive that they had avoided being seen.

The girl in the wanted poster was known as the Chameleon, but they had little information on her. He took a minute to try and familiarise himself with her face, in case he ever met her. Not that Remus wanted the gang to show up —he didn't enjoy chasing outlaws, but it was his job now.

...oOo...

Remus tried not to watch the couples pairing off to dance as the music slowed. Instead, he scanned the crowd, ensuring there was no trouble, before glancing towards the door.

" _Excusez-moi_ , Deputy," came a sultry voice from behind him. Remus looked away from the door, turning towards the woman.

He couldn't help but smile at the school-teacher.

"Miss Delacour," he said by way of greeting. "Is everything well?"

She returned the smile. "It iz," she confirmed, reaching up to her curls and pushing them back over her shoulder. "But call me Fleur. I was curious whether you wanted to dance with moi?"

Remus looked at the couples on the dance floor reluctantly. "Thank you for the offer, but I've got a job to do here," he replied quickly.

"What job iz zat?" Fleur asked curiously, still smiling. Remus took that as a good sign, glad he hadn't upset her with his refusal.

"To ensure everything runs smoothly here. This is the mayor's manor after all, and the sheriff has the night off, so it's just me."

She nodded slightly. "Perhaps you'll join me for a dance later?" She watched him carefully for a reaction, so Remus nodded, hoping she would forget about her request later - after all, there were plenty of other men who would kill to have a dance with her.

"If you'll excuse me, Miss Fleur, I think I see something I must attend to. I hope you enjoy your evening." Before Fleur could protest, Remus was walking swiftly away, eager to hide himself at the other side of the room.

...oOo...

"Let go of me!"

Remus spun around, his eyes immediately locking onto the sight of a man clutching a woman's arm. "I insist you dance with me," the man said cockily.

He quickly headed over to the pair. "You heard the lady." Remus gave the man a cold look. "Unhand her."

The man barely looked his way. "I don't think this is any of your concern," he said dismissively.

Remus straightened up and gestured to the deputy badge on his shirt. "It's my business now," he said in his most authoritative voice. "So you can either leave here, alone, or you can spend the night in the holding cells. It's your choice."

The man glanced back at the woman briefly, and she gave a slight nod. Her assailant let go, running his hand through his messy dark hair before straightening his glasses. "Of course. We wouldn't want to make a big deal out of a misunderstanding, would we?" He abruptly turned and left.

Remus watched him reach the door. Suddenly there was a hand on his arm, and Remus turned his attention to the woman behind him. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was.

She removed her hand from his arm, thrusting it out in front of her. "Call me Stella," she insisted.

Remus quickly reached for her gloved hand, bringing it to his lips. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Stella," he said shyly, before letting go of her hand. "I'm Deputy Lupin… but you can call me Remus. If you prefer."

"I do prefer," she said, smiling widely at him. "How can I thank you for saving me?"

"Oh," Remus replied. "It was nothing, really."

"It was impressive," Stella insisted, reaching up to twist one of her black curls around her finger. "But what if he comes back?" She watched him with wide grey eyes, and Remus struggled to look away or even focus. He knew he was staring at her in the same way that other men tended to stare at Fleur around town, and he quickly averted his gaze.

When he glanced back, her painted lips were curved into a wide smile. "Perhaps I can stay near you. I'd feel safer here. You'll protect me, won't you… Remus?"

Remus nodded enthusiastically. "Of course," he replied. "I'll ensure he doesn't approach you again - you have my word."

"I feel safer already," Stella insisted. "But now I fear I won't get the opportunity to dance." She seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Unless you'll be willing to dance with me?" She reached out, her hand running down his arm, boldly taking his hand in hers.

Remus knew he should focus on working, but couldn't resist. "Of course," he replied. After all, one dance couldn't hurt.

Before he knew what was happening, Stella had crowded into his space, her arms finding their way around him, leading him into a slow dance. He awkwardly brought his arms up around her, noticing for the first time how tall she was. He wasn't used to women being only a few inches shorter than him.

"Are you in town long?" Remus asked, hoping that she would say yes. This was all new, being interested in a woman. He had never seen the appeal before. He was captivated by her after just minutes of knowing her, and he didn't want her to disappear from his life as quickly as she had entered.

"I hope so," Stella murmured, her arms tightening. "I could stay like this all night."

"Me too," Remus replied softly. He knew he should get back to work, but couldn't bring himself to stop dancing with Stella. Maybe he'd get the chance to court her.

...oOo...

A loud bang came from the hallway to the rear of the ballroom. Remus knew that Mayor Malfoy's study was in that direction and he quickly pulled away from Stella. There weren't supposed to be guests in that part of the manor.

Stella grabbed his arm tightly. "Remus, I think I saw that man again!" she said, her voice becoming higher in her sudden panicked state. "He just ran out of those doors." She pointed towards the main doors of the hall, but Remus turned back to the hallway, conflicted about what to do.

An invader in the study was priority.

"Remus, where are you going?" Stella asked, still gripping his arm. "What's happening?"

"I just need to check out this hallway," Remus told her. "I'm certain I heard something that I need to investigate. I'm sure it's nothing—I'll be right back."

"But the man," she said, lifting her other hand and pointing towards the main doors once more. "I saw him. He didn't leave, he's clearly been watching us. What if he returns whilst you're gone? What will I do? Pay attention to me," she begged.

Remus found himself hesitating once more in his desire to protect Stella.

He only hesitated for a moment. He heard the sound of gunshots and spun around, searching for the source of the sound. It was in vain, as other guests had heard and were running towards the doors, trying to get out of the hall.

...oOo...

Stella had disappeared in the commotion.

Remus rushed from the building, his eyes landing on her red dress in the distance. The man with glasses from earlier had a hold on her arm and was leading her down the street, and Remus followed.

When he turned the corner, she was already up on his horse, riding away. His gaze shifted to the other horses and he realised Fleur was on another, accompanied by another woman.

The woman turned to look at him and Remus found himself looking into the face of the Chameleon herself. He realised that the gang of Marauders were kidnapping both Stella and Fleur.

Before he could do anything, they sped away after the other horses, leaving Remus standing in the dust.

He stared after them, realising that everything was connected. The noise that came from the back hallway by the study and the gunshot. Both to distract him. He wondered what damage had been done and what the Marauders were after.

But more than anything, he was scared for Stella. She was an innocent victim, as was Fleur. He didn't care about anything else - he knew he had to find the women and get them back safely.

...oOo...

It wasn't as hard to track the horses. Remus had done a lot of tracking when cattle had broken loose back on his parents' ranch. The moonlight assisted him, allowing him to see footprints where people had rushed back on themselves to try and cover the horse tracks. They hadn't done the best job at hiding themselves. Considering they were famous outlaws, they were quite sloppy.

Remus was glad he hadn't waited before setting out after them. Instead he rode through the night, following as quickly as possible, focused only on saving the women and not caring about the life he had left behind in town.

It wasn't much of a life - he had been removed from his position as deputy and Mayor Malfoy had strongly suggested that Remus leave.

Remus was happy to. Ever since he had set foot in town, things hadn't gone his way. He had originally arrived to take up the role of teacher, only to find out they had hired someone else (not that he had held that against Fleur). Instead, he accepted a different job - deputy - because he didn't want to return home and admit he had failed again.

It was almost morning when Remus heard a gunshot behind him. His fingers reached for his own gun.

"Touch the gun and the next shot will be through your hand."

Remus' hand stilled and he didn't move as the man came into view. Remus recognised him at once. The wanted poster for Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew had been hanging in the sheriff's office for as long as he had been in town. He tried to assess the situation. He had been so careful, yet the man had still managed to catch him unawares.

But then again, they were the most famous outlaws and they didn't get that way by luck. He cursed himself for not being more careful. For all he knew, they had realised he was following and laid a trap.

The man let out a low whistle and the pair waited, Remus' eyes fixed on the pistol. It only took a minute until a familiar man approached. Remus narrowed his eyes, recognising the stranger from the party - the one who had grabbed Stella and had taken her away. His fingers itched to reach for his gun, but he resisted. If he was shot, he wouldn't be able to save Stella. And Fleur too, of course.

"Found this one following," Pettigrew said, gesturing to Remus with his gun. "Should I shoot him?"

The man grinned. "We suspected he would," he replied. "Though bets were in over why. I think it's duty. The boss thinks a pretty girl turned his head." He glanced Remus over. "Toss the gun to the ground."

Remus hesitated. "What if I don't?"

"We'll have to shoot you," the man replied. "Toss the gun and you might stand a chance at living."

Remus removed the gun carefully, considering his chances if he were to shoot either of the men. Were other Marauders around, hiding, watching? Would he escape?

"I wouldn't," Pettigrew said, stepping closer. "The moment you try, I'll put a bullet between your eyes."

Remus lowered himself from the horse, dropping to the dusty ground and carefully placing the gun down before stepping away.

"Great. Follow me. Oh, and I'm Jamie."

"Is that your name?" Remus asked.

Jamie shrugged. "It's _a_ name," he offered. "It's all you'll get. Not many people know my real name. You'll have to be one of the inner circle to get that sort of information."

"I don't think I'm inner circle material," Remus muttered, causing Jamie to laugh as he led them to the rundown shack. "Not our base, of course. We knew we were being followed, we knew the shack was here. It made sense to stop and let you catch up. So… you're here for the jewels and money and stuff, right?"

Remus shook his head. "I got fired. None of that is my concern - not when you took more than that."

"What else did we take?" Jamie asked, confused.

"Two women from town. Lives matter more than anything, and I'm here to request that your boss allow me to bring Fleur and Stella back to town."

Jamie nodded slowly. "You'll find everything you're asking for in there," he replied, stepping forward and leading the way inside.

...oOo...

The door closed behind them and Remus glanced around the dark shack, his eyes settling on a dark figure sitting in a chair. The man casually tilted the chair back as he feet rested on an old, wonky table. A cowboy hat covered his head and part of his face, the shadows obscuring the rest.

"What do you want?"

"Fleur and Stella—" Remus began.

"I'm not going to help you if you don't be honest with me," the man said, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Tell me what you really came here for. Good intentions aside, what drove you to get on your horse and follow?"

"Stella," Remus admitted, hating that he had to explain himself. "You took Stella and I want to bring her back to town."

A long silence followed and Remus started to feel impatient. He stepped forward. "Where's Stella?"

"Stella's dead," the man said, his voice sounding strained. "Gone. You should leave now."

"Mate," Jamie said from behind him. "What if…"

"There is no 'what if'," the man snapped. "It's better this way. Just leave."

Remus stared at the figure. Stella was dead? The idea made him feel sick. He had only known her for a short time, yet the only person that had truly mattered to him outside of his family was gone. Had he just been quicker... The man in front of him was to blame.

Before he knew what he was doing, Remus had launched himself across the room. The man was quick to his feet, but allowed himself to be slammed back into the wall. Remus' fingers wrapped around his neck.

"Hey," Jamie shouted, a hand grabbing Remus' shoulder, but the boss held his hand up, stopping Jamie.

"What now?" the leader asked. "You'll kill me? I'll allow you to walk out of here with your life if you step away from me. Hurt me and I can't control my men's reactions."

A black ringlet escaped from under the man's hat, tickling against Remus' hand, and Remus stared at it in confusion for a moment before reaching up, pulling the hat away. He gasped at the familiar face.

"Stella?" he whispered. He quickly removed his hand. "What… what is this?"

"I dressed as a woman," the man explained, shrugging slightly.

"Why?"

"Women have more fun. For the record, my name… I'm Sirius."

Remus stepped back. "I thought your friend abducted Stella," he said. "You make me fall for you, then you pretend to be abducted - what did you expect to happen next?"

"Honestly? Part of me hoped that you'd follow. But as we rode, I reminded myself that I was dressed as Stella. Why would you want the man under the clothing? By the time we reached this shack I had decided to tell you to leave. Stella is dead because that persona hurt you and made my heart break." He reached down and grabbed the hat from the grimy floor, setting it down on the table.

"Tell me everything," Remus requested.

"I was only there to distract you after Fleur failed, nothing more. I couldn't stop myself. You looked at me in a way that… I mean, I could pretend that it was something real rather than you only seeing Stella. I deluded myself so I could enjoy being in your arms."

"Were your feelings real?" Remus found himself asking, analysing Sirius' words. "Mine were."

"Your feelings for the woman that didn't exist, or your feelings for the man behind the dress and makeup?" Sirius asked.

Remus shrugged his shoulders, before pulling out one of the chairs to sit on. "If it were just feelings for Stella, I wouldn't still be here," he muttered. "I'd have been out of that door the moment I found out that you were she."

Sirius dropped down into the other chair. "And I'm glad you didn't. My feelings for you are real. It wasn't hard to fall for you. As for being pulled away… I wanted to convince you to come with us, or at least make sure you were okay. James wouldn't let me in case I got myself caught. Would you have come?"

"Perhaps, though things were different a few hours ago. I had a home and a job. I was falling for a beautiful woman. Now, I have nothing," Remus said, noticing the slip with James' name.

Sirius' hand slid across the table, his fingers grazing Remus'. "That doesn't have to be true. We can offer you a home, a job and a family. Stay with _me_. We have feelings for each other, Remus. I'm not going to ignore this."

"I don't know. What we have is based on lies, Sirius. How can I trust you?"

"You're right. I deceived you. But please give me a chance to prove myself to you."

Remus nodded.

Sirius grinned. "Great. Welcome to the Marauders, love."

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 **2978 words**

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